The Inheritance Clause

This story contains descriptions of graphic sex between males. If that kind of thing does not appeal to you, stop reading now.

This story is pure fiction. If this resembles something that happened to you, it must have been an incredible experience. But it's simply a coincidence.

All comments are welcome: djwarner1984@hotmail.com Please donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/

-DJ

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The Inheritance Clause - 24

"Please, come in. Have a seat on the couch," Krantz said.

The room at the end of the east wing of the third floor was an office. There was a desk with some piles of papers and a laptop on it. There was a couch along one of the walls with a small coffee table in front of it. There was a wooden folding chair on the other side of the coffee table, facing the couch. The boys went to the couch and sat down. The couch was unexpectedly comfortable.

"Coffee?" Krantz asked as he reached for a pot of coffee on a side table.

"Yes, please. For both of us..." Dawson said.

Krantz poured two cups and rolled a service table over with cream and sugar on it. The boys prepared their coffees. When they were finished, they sat forward on the couch, holding their coffees in their laps. Krantz sat down in front of them on the folding chair.

"Let me start by saying I have clearly failed the two of you so I am submitting my letter of resignation," Krantz said.

Krantz took an envelope out of his breast pocket and placed it on the coffee table. He slid it toward the boys. Dawson's mouth opened in surprise. Adam simply took a sip of his coffee, not showing any reaction.

"When we're done here, I'll collect my things," Krantz said.

The boys stayed frozen in their seats as they listened to Krantz speak.

"I'd like to provide an explanation for my actions, if you'll allow me," Krantz said as he looked at the boys for their reactions.

"Why did you lie to us?" Adam asked bluntly.

Krantz looked down. He took a deep breath and started to speak.

"When Mr. Jameson told me what he wanted to do with the will and the two of you," Krantz explained, "I did not agree with it. I struggled with whether or not it was right for him to force you to stay isolated. Although Ms. Castillo didn't know Mr. Jameson's reasons, she assured me that, as long as you signed the agreement, what Mr. Jameson wanted to do was legal."

Krantz paused and emitted a small sigh.

"The main problem was that it would require me to keep his relationship with Mr. Santos secret until the end of the six months. I told Mr. Jameson I wasn't comfortable with it. We discussed it many times. I could not persuade him to do things differently. In the end, I rationalized that because what he wanted to do was legal, keeping his secret was also ok. I realize now that I was fooling myself."

"Why didn't you just tell us? My granddad was gone. You had no obligation to keep his secret from us anymore," Adam said with a level tone in his voice.

Krantz looked back and forth between the boys as he answered.

"Ah, but I did have an obligation. I promised Mr. Jameson," Krantz explained and then he paused before continuing, "As a butler, one must remain loyal to one's employer or one cannot be effective. One sees and hears a lot of things in one's role as butler. And it is part of the job to never reveal to anyone else what goes on in the household. I had become accustomed to keeping details of Mr. Jameson's personal life to myself. It's what I did for him for years. So, keeping quiet about his relationship with Mr. Santos was, to me, simply a continuation of remaining discreet."

Dawson took a sip of his coffee as Krantz continued. Adam didn't move. He was paying close attention to every word.

"But my mistake was ignoring the fact that I wasn't just keeping a secret for my former employer. I was also perpetrating a deception against the two of you," Krantz admitted as he looked down with regret.

Krantz looked remorseful admitting he made a mistake. Dawson felt a twinge of sadness. Adam's face hadn't changed. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"I had not realized my loyalty should have shifted," Krantz explained, "After Mr. Jameson's passing, the two of you should have become my priority. I should have protected you."

Krantz then looked up and focused his eyes directly at Adam.

"I honestly did struggle with this," Krantz said.

Before Krantz could continue, Dawson interrupted.

"You were going to tell us, that day in the living room, after you told us about the inquiry and Judge Lynch. When you got up to leave, you hesitated. You were going to say something, but you stopped yourself," Dawson said as he realized just then the significance of that moment.

"Yes," Krantz said slowly as he looked at Dawson with surprise.

Adam turned to look at Dawson.

"And that night, after you cooked the steaks on the grill... You were going to say something then, too. Weren't you?" Dawson asked excitedly.

"How did you know?" Krantz asked with wonder.

"At the time, I didn't. But I remembered thinking there was something... Until just now I didn't realize what it was," Dawson said.

Adam turned to look at Krantz as he continued to explain.

"There were several times I considered telling you. When you asked me about a woman named Q who dated your grandfather, it threw me for a moment. But then I realized you found the notes hidden in the armoire. After I left the room, I stayed in the hallway. I turned a couple of times to go back in to tell you. But each time, I stopped myself," Krantz explained.

Dawson looked surprised. Adam took a sip of his coffee.

"I just couldn't break my vow to Mr. Jameson. I know now I made the wrong choice. Deceiving you by withholding information that could have helped you was not right. And for that offense, I can no longer, in good conscience, remain as your butler," Krantz said.

The boys remained silent as they processed what Krantz said. The quiet got a bit uncomfortable. Dawson was about to break the silence when Adam spoke.

"Does Niven really not know anything about my granddad and Jorge?" Adam asked with no emotion showing on his face.

"No," Krantz said, "she doesn't know. I haven't revealed anything to her."

"Why did she help you then, to bring us here to talk to you?" Adam asked.

"Because I told her what I was going to tell you last night," Krantz said.

He paused.

"You two need more time... alone," Krantz concluded.

Adam lowered his head as he thought about Krantz's response. That was exactly what Adam had been thinking as well. He just wanted more time, alone, with Dawson. In that moment, Adam knew he would forgive Krantz for his deception.

Dawson sensed Adam's softening of his anger toward Krantz. He gently placed his hand on the middle of Adam's back, much like Adam did to him when they were in the library listening to the reading of the will. Dawson took a sip of his coffee.

"I must admit, I was not convinced that you two were meant for each other. But Mr. Jameson was so insistent. And he turned out to be right about you falling in love. And he was right about you needing time to adjust. That's why he wanted you isolated for six months. Not only to fall in love, but to prepare you for what's coming. When the judge intervened, the six months went right out the window," Krantz said.

He paused and looked back and forth at the boys.

"Dealing with the media... your friends and family... the financial decisions... the legal decisions... the politicians and power players you'll need to interact with... the demands that people will put on you... Dealing with all that while trying to build a relationship, well, it will be overwhelming," Krantz explained, "If you had the full six months to prepare, to solidify your relationship, I have no doubt that the two of you would take the world by storm. But you've barely had enough time to get to know each other."

Dawson began rubbing Adam's back. Adam lifted his head. The boys sipped their coffees at the same time.

"Well, what do you propose we do?" Dawson asked.

"The panel is in charge of the assets until you complete the hand off. You simply tell them you want more time. They were prepared to do the job for the next five and a half months. They should have no problem extending the duration of their oversight responsibilities," Krantz said.

"Hmm," Dawson said as he absorbed Krantz's recommendation.

He was surprised he hadn't thought of that himself. It confirmed in his mind that he wasn't himself. Adam turned, looking for Dawson's reaction.

"What about the media?" Adam said as he turned back toward Krantz.

The boys looked at Krantz for his response.

"What about them?" Krantz said with a mischievous grin, "They can wait until you're ready to talk to them. They may not like it, but too bad for them."

Adam and Dawson looked at each other as they considered Krantz's plan.

"The only decision you need to make is how much time you need," Krantz said, "Now that you have inherited the assets, you are in control," Krantz said, "The panel can wait. Your mother and your cousin can wait. The media will wait. Focus on solidifying your relationship."

Adam put his coffee cup onto the table. The boys looked at each other. They were both thinking about what Niven said to them before they entered the room. Dawson kept rubbing Adam's back. Adam slowly leaned forward. He picked up Krantz's resignation letter.

"Rip!!" Adam tore Krantz's resignation letter in half.

Dawson slid his hand up Adam's back and gripped his shoulder. He squeezed it firmly. Adam tossed the two halves of the letter onto the table. Dawson took a sip of his coffee and then put it down onto the table, next to the ripped-up letter.

"We don't accept your resignation, Krantz," Dawson said.

Dawson caressed Adam's shoulder.

"Thank you for explaining yourself. I wasn't in any condition to hear it last night. But you can't leave us just yet. We need you," Adam said.

"Krantz, we need your help to navigate our way through this. Please don't go," Dawson said.

Krantz sat there and looked at them. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"I don't think I'm the right person to help you through this next phase," Krantz said, "I think it's time for me to retire. But I will stay... long enough for you to install someone who can help you."

Krantz paused and then he turned his body while he remained in the wooden chair. He reached over to the desk and picked up some papers. Dawson kept gently rubbing Adam's shoulder.

"I have a candidate in mind who is far better suited than I am to help you going forward. But I don't think you should bring her in as butler. I recommend you hire her as your private secretary. That way she can provide you with guidance across the board," Krantz said.

"She?" Adam asked.

Krantz held out some pages stapled together in each hand. Adam and Dawson reached out and took them. The boys each looked at the resume Krantz had handed them while he spoke.

"Yes, her name is Christine Larkin. After getting her bachelor's degree in hospitality management at Cornell, she served for two years as the assistant to the Chief of Protocol at the US State Department, planning and coordinating all state dinners and State Department events. During that time, she went to school at night and earned her master's in finance from Georgetown," Krantz explained.

Dawson flipped the pages as he listened to Krantz. Adam had stopped looking at the resume and was looking at Krantz.

"Following that," Krantz expounded, "she served for four years as Chief of Staff to Rex Wheeler, the hotel chain magnate. And for the past eight years, she has managed the Private Secretary's Office for the Royal Family of Norway. She and her staff helped prepare the young royals for their official roles all while running the royal household and managing the demands of the royal family. She can provide you with unique guidance on dealing with all of the things you'll be facing. She will help you more than I ever could."

Dawson and Adam looked at each other. They were impressed with her credentials.

"How do you know her?" Dawson asked.

"When Mr. Jameson passed, I began a search for suitable candidates. She came to the top. I reached out to her after the reading of the will to gauge her interest. She has completed what she set out to do with the royal family, so she is looking for her next position. She's intrigued by the challenge of this role," Krantz said, "After the judge ended the six months, I called her. I assumed you would want to meet with her so she flew into Austin last night. She can be here today."

The boys looked at each other to confirm they were good with Krantz's plan. Dawson squeezed his hand on Adam's shoulder.

"Shouldn't we consider more than one candidate?" Adam asked.

"Yes," Krantz said, "usually... If you want more candidates after you meet with her, I'll line them up for you."

"But you think she's the one?" Dawson asked.

"Yes," Krantz said without hesitation.

"Ok, Krantz, let's bring her in," Dawson said, "See if she can join us for lunch today. We'll talk to Niven."

Krantz nodded. Dawson took Adam's copy of the resume and put them onto the table.

"Now, as for the cast of characters downstairs..." Krantz began.

Adam looked at Dawson with determination in his eyes.

"We'll take care of them, Krantz. We know what we want to do now," Adam said with confidence while keeping eye contact with Dawson.

Dawson smiled at Adam. He removed his hand from Adam's back. He laid it palm side up onto Adam's thigh. Adam kept eye contact with him as he placed his hand into Dawson's. They interlaced their fingers and kept their hands connected on Adam's thigh. Adam leaned in and kissed Dawson with a small peck on the cheek. The boys turned and looked over at Krantz.

"There is something you can arrange for us, though," Dawson said.

Dawson leaned into Adam.

"We want to go to Rosemary's Point tomorrow. Can you prepare everything? We'll take the pontoon boat out after lunch and return Sunday before dinner," Adam said.

"I can take care of that," Krantz said, "I'll talk to Niven. She'll want to confirm with you what types of provisions you'll want. And if there's anything special you need me to pack for you, just let me know."

The boys looked at each other. Adam smiled nervously and looked down at the ground. Dawson grinned and turned to look at Krantz.

"There is one thing," Dawson said in a quieter voice, "It's a delicate matter."

"Whatever you need..." Krantz said without any change of expression.

"We will need some lubricant," Dawson said quietly.

Adam kept looking at the floor.

"I see..." Krantz said, trying not to look flustered.

He paused for just a moment.

"Of course, I can take care of that. You'll want things to go smoothly..." Krantz said with a straight face.

"Krantz!" Adam laughed at Krantz's attempt at humor as he looked up at him.

Dawson smiled and chuckled as he shook his head. Krantz grinned to himself. When the boys finally stopped laughing, Krantz spoke.

"You should discuss how much time you want to ask the panel for," Krantz said.

"We're going to ask the panel to do the hand off of the assets on Monday," Dawson said as Adam looked at Krantz and nodded.

"Monday? I'm not sure that will be enough time for you to be ready" Krantz said with concern in his voice.

Adam smiled at Dawson and then leaned into him as he looked at Krantz. Dawson cleared his throat.

"We think a few nights alone at Rosemary's Point is all the preparation we'll need to be ready for whatever the world throws at us," Dawson said with confidence.

Krantz suspected the boys were talking about consummating their relationship.

"I see," said Krantz as a slight grin crept across his mouth, "I'll make sure the boat and the cabin are prepared and ready for you."

"Thank you, Krantz," said Adam.

"Great," Dawson said, "Anything else?"

"Yes, one other thing," Krantz said, "Margherita Santos called this morning. Mateo's son, Marco, turns ten today. The family is gathering for dinner tonight to celebrate his birthday. She wants you to join them. She apologized for the short notice, but they were prohibited from contacting you when clause C was in effect."

The boys looked at each other. Adam began thinking about the Santos kids he used to play with as a child.

"I used to hang out with Mateo in the summers when I visited my granddad," Adam told Dawson.

Dawson raised his eyebrows to indicate he was open to going.

"As much as I love this house, it would be nice to get out of here for a bit. Clear our heads... Relax..." Dawson said.

"We'll need to bring a gift," Adam said.

"I can take care of that," Krantz said, "and I will arrange for the security team to bring you over and bring you back."

The boys both nodded.

"That is all for now," Krantz said, "I'll contact Ms. Larkin and make arrangements for you to meet her today."

Dawson nodded in acknowledgement. Adam cleared his throat.

"Um," Adam spoke up, "Krantz... I need to meet with Vickie. I have to make a clean break of things. I'm going to see if she can come tomorrow. I will need you to arrange a car for her."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Krantz said as he stood, "Just let me know."

Adam nodded. Having finished their conversation, the boys grabbed their coffees and stood up. They put their cups on the service tray. Krantz went to the door and opened it.

"Oh, Krantz," Dawson said, "One last thing..."

Dawson stepped into the hallway, turned, and made eye contact with Krantz. He waited for Adam as he passed through the doorway and joined him. Dawson put his arm around Adam. Adam looked at Krantz.

"Perhaps you should start addressing us with our surnames from now on," Dawson said.

Krantz didn't respond right away. He looked at the floor as he considered how much had changed during their conversation. The boys were more sure of themselves. He was more confident now that when they returned from Rosemary's Point on Monday, they would be ready to take on their new responsibilities. He looked up at the boys.

"Very well, Mr. Stewart... Mr. Jameson," Krantz finally said with a nod to each of them.

"Thank you, Krantz," Adam said.

The boys started down the hallway. They didn't say anything until they reached the top of the stairs.

"Let's find Cassie and Carmen," Dawson said as he reached out for Adam's hand.

The boys felt like themselves again. They held hands with renewed energy as they made their way downstairs. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Niven was in the front door vestibule with attorney Jacob Dugan, who had just arrived.

"Dawson!" Jacob said, "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," Dawson said as they approached each other and shook hands.

"Wow, there's a whole circus of press at the end of the road and everybody is talking about you two," Jacob said as he sized up Adam.

"This is Adam Jameson. You spoke to his mother yesterday," Dawson introduced them, "Adam, this is your mom's divorce attorney, Jacob Dugan."

"Ah, yes. I met your grandfather a couple times... seemed like a fine man. My condolences," Jacob said as he shook Adam's hand.

"Thank you," Adam said.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure your mom takes your dad to the cleaners," Jacob said with a slick smile as he leaned in toward Adam.

Adam tried not to react, but his face showed a bit of surprise at Jacob's comment.

"Wow, this place is amazing," Jacob said as he looked around, "Hey, Richie Rich..." Jacob said as he swiped gently at Dawson's mid-section, "I guess now that you're loaded, you won't need to come back to the firm, huh?"

"We'll see," Dawson said, trying to hide his annoyance with how crass Jacob was being, "Niven, why don't you show Mr. Dugan out to the terrace, so he can meet Mrs. Jameson."

"Right... Right..." Jacob said as he continued to look around, "Time is money. Guess I should get to it. It was nice meeting you," he said to Adam.

Niven escorted him past the boys and took him out to the terrace. Adam gave Dawson a look.

"He's a really good divorce lawyer. He's going to take care of your mom. Trust me," Dawson said.

"I do trust you," Adam said, "That's why I didn't throw him out of my house."

"You mean our house, don't you?" Dawson said playfully.

Adam sighed and put his hands on his hips as he looked skeptically at Dawson. He spoke using a mocking tone to mimic Dawson's voice.

"'Adam, you should keep the house'... 'I'm not keeping my inheritance'... 'You should take the house'..." Adam mocked and then spoke in his normal voice, "What happened to that guy?"

Dawson looked at Adam with bemusement. There were no more restrictions from the will hanging over his head, preventing him from refusing his inheritance. But the thought hadn't entered his mind since he and Adam professed their love for each other. With everything that had happened, he just assumed he and Adam would be together.

"Well," Dawson said as his face softened, "that guy fell in love."

Adam smiled. He leaned toward Dawson and they embraced. Adam turned his head and leaned it into Dawson's chest and neck.

"Hmmm," Adam sighed as he reveled in Dawson's arms, "good answer..."

"By the way," Dawson said quietly, "that impression of me was awful."

"Oh, trust me. It was spot on," Adam said with a slight laugh.

Adam separated from Dawson and playfully tried to slide his shoulder into Dawson's. Dawson pivoted his body to avoid him. They both started laughing. Dawson then slid his hip into Adam's. Adam turned and tried to shove Dawson as they both started to giggle. Dawson stood his ground and pulled Adam toward him. He swept Adam into his arms and laughed. Adam relented as Dawson began to nibble on Adam's neck.

Niven walked into the hallway at that moment. She stopped and clasped her hands together in front of herself. She pursed her lips.

"Well, you two look like you're finally back to normal," Niven said.

Dawson let go of Adam and cleared his throat. Adam stood up straight and stepped to the side of Dawson as he looked at Niven. Both boys smiled at her. There was a moment of hesitation.

"Hi, Niven... Where are Cassie and Carmen?" Adam asked.

Niven tried to hold back a smile, almost on the verge of chuckling.

"Oh, they're still in the dining room," Niven said, "They haven't noticed the two of you left."

Niven said the last part with a self-satisfied grin. Dawson shook his head. Adam chuckled softly and then looked at Niven.

"We're inviting someone for lunch. Her name is Christine Larkin. She's a candidate for a new position we're hiring for, private secretary. Can you arrange lunch for the three of us?" Adam said, "If you can take care of my mom and Cassie in the dining room, we'd prefer to take lunch with Ms. Larkin on the terrace."

"Very well," Niven said, "I can take care of that."

"Thank you," Adam said.

"We'd like you to interview her, too, so we can get your perspective on her," Dawson added, "Krantz has her resume."

"Of course," Niven said.

She pursed her lips and nodded.

"And we are going to Rosemary's Point tomorrow afternoon and staying until Sunday," Adam said, "Can you talk to Krantz about making preparations for us?"

"Of course," Niven replied, "I can prepare provisions for you. Is there anything in particular you want?"

"Surprise us, Niven," Dawson said.

Niven pursed her lips and nodded again.

"Oh, one other thing, Niven," Adam said, "We think maybe it's time we started following some of those protocols we talked about."

"Of course, Mr. Jameson," Niven said with a bit of satisfaction in her voice, "Will you need anything else?"

"No, we're good for now," Dawson said.

"Very well, Mr. Stewart," Niven said with a single nod.

She started toward the stairway. As the boys made their way to the dining room, Adam playfully bumped his shoulder into Dawson's. Dawson chuckled and gently shoved Adam back. Adam laughed and slipped his hand into Dawson's. They were smiling when they entered the dining room. Cassie and Carmen were talking loudly. They weren't arguing, but they were trying to talk over each other.

The boys stopped in the doorway. Adam went to the head of the table. He pulled the chair back and stood right up against the table. He leaned over and put his hands on the table and locked his elbows. Carmen and Cassie still didn't notice him.

"Excuse me," Adam said loudly.

They both turned to look at him.

"There you are..." Cassie said, looking at both boys.

"Where were you?" Carmen asked.

"We needed to take care of something," Adam said as he relaxed his arms and stood up straight.

"Change of plans..." Dawson said as he came and stood next to Adam, "We need a few days to decompress after all of the craziness that's happened. We'll be ready on Monday to deal with everything. Until then, we have a couple requests."

The boys waited until Cassie and Carmen looked like they understood what he was saying.

"Cassie, we need a press release," Adam said, "We need it to say we're not saying anything at this time and we'll talk to the media soon."

"And Carmen," Dawson said, "we'll need to meet with the panel... just the panel... so we can let them know we want to delay the hand off until Monday."

Carmen stared at Dawson.

"What's going on?" Carmen said, "Why exactly are we delaying?"

"We just told you," Adam said.

Dawson turned toward Cassie.

"Cass, can you and your team start drafting a press release? We'll meet you in the living room after we've spoken to the panel," Dawson said, "Boiler plate stuff... 'at this time we're still grieving'... 'we wish to have some privacy'... 'we'll have something to say soon'... blah, blah, blah..."

"Yeah," Cassie said, "We can draft something like that."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Dawson said.

"Can we talk to the panel now?" Dawson said to Carmen.

Adam started toward the doorway. Dawson gestured to Carmen to follow Adam as he started to move toward the door, too. Carmen looked at Cassie, who simply shrugged her shoulders. Carmen got up from the table slowly, looking at the boys skeptically as she followed them.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Carmen said.

"We're going to ask the panel for an extension. Adam and I need a couple more days before we accept the hand off of the assets," Dawson repeated their reason as they made their way to the library.

"Why? What's changed?" Carmen asked, still suspicious something else was going on, "What was in the clause D boxes?"

The boys stopped. Carmen did, too. They were just outside the library.

"The clause D boxes have nothing to do with this. Adam and I had a chance to consider the significance of our inheritance," Dawson said to Carmen.

"You've changed," Carmen said as she squinted at Dawson.

"Of course I've changed," Dawson said as he reached out and grabbed Adam by the waist.

He pulled Adam in close to him.

"I'm in love," Dawson said, "plus, I've just inherited $800 million. I need to be thoughtful about what I do next."

Carmen smiled.

"Well, ok then," Carmen said with a grin.

She put her hand out toward the library door.

"One other thing..." Dawson said, "When it's just us," he gestured to the three of them, "call us Adam and Dawson. But when we're with anyone else, I think it's best if we're Mr. Jameson and Mr. Stewart."

Carmen stepped back and looked at him skeptically. A slow grin formed on her face.

"Well, look who's grown up," Carmen said to him with a motherly tone.

Dawson grinned back at her. He opened the library door. He let go of Adam as the three of them entered the room. Carmen got everyone's attention.

"Mr. Stewart and Mr. Jameson would like to meet privately with the panel," Carmen said in a commanding voice, "Could I ask everyone else to wait for me in the dining room? It shouldn't take long."

There was momentary silence as they all looked at Carmen and the boys, trying to process what they had just heard. Then there was movement as the additional lawyers and financial advisors started moving toward the door. When they had left, Adam shut the door. He moved next to Dawson where everyone could see them. Carmen took the same seat she was in during the reading of clause C.

"Mr. Stewart and I would like to apologize," Adam began.

"Yes, Mr. Jameson and I have discussed it and we'd like to change our plans, slightly," Dawson said.

"The suddenness with which Judge Lynch ended the temporary oversight of the assets had us a bit thrown yesterday," Adam continued.

"And we'd like to ask if you can hold out until Monday for us to take over the assets," Dawson said.

They paused to see what the reaction was from the room.

"Why the delay?" Lillian Warren said, "To be honest, I find this to be quite a burden and am very much looking forward to getting out from under this obligation."

"Mr. Jameson and I need a couple more days to think through how we want to structure the assets. Rather than take them 'as is', we want to consider how we will carry on Clayton Jameson's legacy. As you know, things are made more complicated because there are two of us inheriting. We want to be thoughtful about how we transition. Then we will be able to assume the assets in a proper manner," Dawson said.

"And considering you were all willing to manage the assets for the next five plus months, we don't think three more days is asking a lot," Adam added.

"Five..." Lillian responded snootily, "It's five days."

Dawson's face took on an overly friendly demeanor.

"Three days, Mrs. Warren," Dawson said in a firm tone, "The markets are closed on Saturday and Sunday. There is no need to even think about the assets on the weekend."

"Any other objections?" Adam said, all but ignoring Lillian Warren's complaint.

He paused for a moment. No one else said anything. Lillian looked like she was going to continue to protest, but Dawson spoke before she could.

"Good," Dawson concluded, "Can everyone be back here on Monday at 10? We should be able to make quick work of things and then have lunch together."

Adam waited just long enough to give folks time to object if they couldn't make it on Monday but not enough time for Lillian to continue her protest.

"Great, then. Thank you for accommodating our request," Adam said as he moved to the door, "We're very grateful."

Adam opened the door, signaling they were done. The members of the panel began to rise and head for the door. Adam and Dawson thanked each member as they passed by. Mrs. Warren looked like she was about to give Dawson a piece of her mind. Adam interceded by reaching out and taking her hand. He cradled it in both of his hands.

"Thank you, Mrs. Warren," Adam said as he subtly guided her to the door while continuing to hold her hand, "My granddad would be so grateful with how you're helping us out. I can't tell you how much Mr. Stewart and I appreciate it."

Mrs. Warren was not happy. But after Adam invoked his grandfather and heaped a bunch of praise at her, she didn't know how to stop what was happening. She simply continued walking out of the library and into the hallway. Adam slowly shut the door. Carmen was the only one who remained in the library. The boys looked at her.

"I must say. I'm impressed," Carmen said as she got up, "It was as if Clayton himself had strong armed the panel."

"We'll take that as a compliment," Dawson said as he pulled Adam closer to him.

The boys put their arms on each other's waists.

"You should," Carmen said, "It was meant as a compliment."

Carmen smiled and waved her hand as she went to the door. She opened it and walked out of the library.

The boys shut the door. Adam aggressively pushed Dawson against the door. They looked at each other.

"That was exhilarating," Adam said with a smile.

"It was, wasn't it?" Dawson said.

Adam moved in and they began to kiss passionately. They embraced each other tightly. They began breathing heavily through their noses as they kissed. First Dawson's tongue invaded Adam's mouth, flicking and dancing inside. Then Adam's tongue took charge. They went back and forth a couple times. Finally, they broke their kiss. They leaned in and their foreheads touched. They were breathing heavily as they continued to hold each other close. Adam lifted his head and looked at Dawson.

"I love you so much," Adam said.

"I can't wait to be alone with you at the cabin," Dawson said.

Adam turned his head and leaned it into Dawson's neck and chest. They stayed like that, holding each other for a minute or two. Adam listened to Dawson's rapidly beating heart.

"C'mom, babe," Dawson said as he tapped Adam's back.

Adam stepped back. They grasped hands as they separated. Dawson opened the door. They stepped into the hallway. Krantz and Carmen were escorting the lawyers and financial advisors toward the front door. The boys thanked each of them and then made their way to the living room.

When the boys entered the room, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at them.

"We want to thank you for pivoting so quickly," Adam said.

"We appreciate your help as we try to navigate this new reality we find ourselves in," Dawson said.

Most of the people in the room grinned, smiled, or nodded.

"We have a draft press release for you to look at," Cassie said.

The boys came over to where Cassie was standing next to a couple people hovering over a laptop. Dawson put his arm around Cassie.

"Thanks, Cass," Dawson reiterated.

"No problem, cuz," Cassie replied.

The boys read the press release and made a few adjustments. When they were satisfied, they thanked everyone again. Dawson and Adam gestured for Cassie to join them in the hallway.

"Thanks again, Cass, for accommodating us. We realized we needed a bit more time to get our heads around this before we say anything publicly," Dawson explained.

"No, I get it. It's fine," Cassie said, "So when do you want to regroup then? I'm just saying we should act as quickly as we can because that press release is only going to hold off the media for a short time."

"Adam and I are going to spend a few nights in a cabin on the other side of the lake," Dawson said, "When we come back Sunday night, we'll know what we want to do."

Cassie nodded.

"Oh, also," Adam added, "We are going to a birthday party next door, so we won't be around for dinner. Will you be ok here with just my mom?"

"I'll be fine," Cassie said, "Don't worry about me."

"Good," Dawson said.

"Can you stay for a second?" she asked Dawson, "I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure," Dawson said, "Go ahead, Adam. I'll find you," Dawson said.

Adam nodded and left Dawson and Cassie. He went toward the terrace to find his mom.

When Adam got to the terrace, he saw Jacob and Joan sitting at one of the round tables. They were looking at some documents on Jacob's laptop. Melanie was sitting at another table with a bunch of papers spread out. Carmen was standing at the table talking with Melanie.

"How are you doing, mom?" Adam said as he approached them.

"Good," she said with a smile, "Mr. Dugan thinks I can get the house and a pretty big alimony payment. We're going through your father's retirement stuff now. He thinks I can get a lot of that, too."

They continued talking. Dawson appeared on the terrace. He went to talk with Carmen and Melanie. After talking with his mom and Jacob for a few more minutes, Adam came up behind Dawson. Dawson turned toward Adam.

"Mrs. Barton and your mom are looking to engage legal representation for the business they are planning," Dawson said to Adam, "You don't have any issues if Cotton, Putnam, and Shaw represent them, do you?"

"I can't think of any reason why not," Adam said.

Adam patted Dawson lightly on his back.

"I'm going to get our phones so I can call Vickie," Adam said, "Don't go anywhere."

Adam went to the kitchen and retrieved his phone. He scrolled through the recent messages and didn't find anything important, just a bunch more random people trying to get in touch with him. He grabbed Dawson's phone. When he came back out onto the terrace, he handed it to Dawson. Then Adam went through the pool area. He made his way to the patio and sat on one of the loungers. He sighed and then he called Vickie.

"Adam!" Vickie said when she answered. She started talking with almost no breaks in between sentences, "Oh, Pookie! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it. I was just angry at the judge. She was so mean to me. I know you weren't supposed to talk during the trial, but I was so upset. I miss you. I know you're probably mad at me, but I'll make it up to you. I've been so lonely without you. I need..."

"Vickie!" Adam interjected, "Vickie! Wait... stop..."

"Pookie," Vickie said with a cloying tone, "Are you mad at me?"

"Vickie..." Adam said calmly, "I'm not mad at you."

"I knew you still loved me," she started in again, "I heard on the TV that the judge released you and you can get your money now. Is that true?"

"Vickie," Adam said, trying to control the conversation, "Are you still in Dallas with Amy?"

"Yeah," Vickie said, "But she can bring me back to Austin. I want to see you."

"Good," Adam said, "Come back to the hotel in Austin. Tomorrow morning, I'll arrange for a car to come pick you up so you can come to the lake house."

"Why can't I see you today?" Vickie said with a pouty voice, "I really want to see you."

"I can't leave the lake house. The press is everywhere," Adam said, "I will send a car for you tomorrow. I'll have Krantz get in touch with you."

"Pookie," Vickie began in her sickly-sweet voice again, "Why don't you meet me at the hotel? We'll order some champagne from room service... and you can give me back my engagement ring... and we can have a romantic dinner... and we'll have makeup sex...."

"I can't," Adam said, cutting her off. He sat up taller and straightened his back, "I have a lot of things I have to do to make sure I get all the money I'm due. I'll have Krantz contact you with the details on when the car will pick you up tomorrow."

Adam figured that making sure he got all of his money would be an excuse she wouldn't try to fight. And he was right.

"Okay, Pookie," Vickie said, "I will wait to hear from Krantz."

"Great," Adam said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you," Vickie said.

Adam didn't say anything more. He simply hung up. He sighed and flopped back into the lounger.

"What in the hell did I ever see in her?" Adam muttered under his breath as he hugged the phone against his chest.

Adam sighed again and then sat up. He got up and made his way back to the terrace.

Dawson was sitting at one of the round tables in the sun. The last piece of the muffin he was eating was on a plate in front of him. He was scrolling on his phone. He looked up when Adam appeared. He could read on Adam's face that it was not an easy phone call.

"C'mon," Adam said when he got to the table, "We're going swimming."

Adam held out his hand to Dawson. He took it and stood up. He slipped his phone into his pocket. He popped the last bite of muffin into his mouth and grabbed the plate. He dropped the plate on the service tray as they made their way inside. They started up the stairs.

"Are you ok?" Dawson asked when they got to the landing halfway up the staircase.

Adam stopped. He turned and smiled. Dawson was smiling back at him.

"Um... I was ok..." Adam said and then grinned.

Dawson gripped Adam's hand tighter. Thinking about the first time they met made Adam feel better.

"Thank you for that," Adam said, "It was a rough phone call. I'll tell you when we get to the pool."

Dawson leaned in and kissed Adam on the cheek. He turned and led Adam up the stairs. They changed into their swim trunks, sandals, and sun shirts.

When they got to the pool, they went to one of the tables. Adam quickly slipped off his sandals, pulled off his shirt, and tossed it onto one of the chairs. Before Dawson could even start to unbutton his sun shirt, Adam was already at the side of the pool near the deeper end. He pinched his nose and jumped into the pool.

Dawson stood and watched him with his hands on his hips. Adam surfaced and blew water as he exhaled. He began treading water, facing Dawson.

"Come on," Adam said as he splashed the water a couple times with one of his hands, "Get in here."

Adam made his way to where the depth of the water was shallow enough that he could stand. Dawson took off his shirt and sandals. He went to the storage box of water toys. He pulled out a floating basketball hoop. He flung it into the pool. It landed a few feet away from Adam. Dawson found the basketball in the box. He shot the ball toward the hoop. It missed, hit the water, and splashed Adam. Dawson then jumped in.

The boys began laughing and trying to toss the ball into the hoop. They started jostling for rebounds and wrestling for the ball when it ended up between them. They blocked the other's shots as they continued having fun. They kept laughing and giggling as they played. After about fifteen minutes, they began to taper off.

Adam moved to where the depth was about three feet and he crouched down so only his neck and his head were above the warm water. Dawson came over toward him and did the same. The ball and the hoop floated randomly near them. They simply smiled at each other while they tried to catch their breath from all the rough housing.

"I can't believe how good it feels to be in the water," Adam said, "All that time I wasted... afraid of nothing..."

Adam looked at Dawson as he paused.

"Thank you, Dawson," Adam said tenderly, "I feel like you've freed me in ways that I can't express."

Dawson came in close. They held hands underwater as they kissed tenderly.

"I love you," Dawson said softly when he broke the kiss.

"Of course you do," Adam said playfully, "I'm adorable!"

With that, he backed up a bit and splashed Dawson. They stayed in the shallow end and started splashing, wrestling, and laughing again. At one point while jostling, Dawson got behind Adam. He managed to wrap his arms around him, trapping Adam's arms against his body.

"No fair," Adam said, "You're cheating," as he struggled to break free.

"How am I cheating?" Dawson said, chuckling, as he kept holding Adam, "There are no rules."

"You're using your big spoon superpower," Adam said.

He leaned back into Dawson and stopped struggling.

"You know I can't resist when you're the big spoon," Adam said with a fake woman's voice.

"Mmm, don't worry. I will only use my superpower for good," he jokingly said with a deep voice.

Adam leaned his head back onto Dawson's shoulder. They both turned their heads. They began kissing as Dawson held Adam in the shallow water.

"I love you," Adam said softly after he broke their kiss.

Dawson gently pulled Adam until they were at the stairs. He sat on one of the steps. Both of their heads were comfortably above the water. Dawson still had Adam wrapped in his arms. Adam was half-sitting on Dawson's thigh.

"Hey, babe?" Dawson said gently, "Tell me what happened with Vickie."

Adam leaned back into Dawson while he told him about the call. Adam described how he felt bad that he didn't tell Vickie outright that it was over. Adam figured he needed to be face-to-face to break it off completely with her. The only way he thought he could do it was to let Vickie think that there was still a chance for a relationship, otherwise she wouldn't come. But Adam felt awful about deceiving her.

"I guess tomorrow's going to be a day of reckoning for both of us," Dawson said when Adam finished.

Adam turned his body and Dawson let him go. Adam crouched down between Dawson's legs. He moved in real close to Dawson.

"Why? What's going on?" Adam said in almost a whisper.

"Well," Dawson started, "Cassie told me my parents got in touch with her through her brother, Paul. They want to see me."

Dawson paused. Adam came closer and held Dawson by his hips while he looked into his eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"At first, I was going to tell them to fuck off. But then it occurred to me. They must have heard about the inheritance. They must want money or something," Dawson said.

Adam looked at Dawson with sympathy.

"Rather than trying to avoid them, I'm going to tell them to their face that as far as I'm concerned, they don't exist," Dawson said, "and they will get nothing from me. Cassie is going to call her brother. She's going to tell them they can see me tomorrow after lunch, before we head to Rosemary's Point."

Adam moved in and hugged him.

"Tomorrow is going to be a crazy day," Adam said quietly into Dawson's ear.

"As long as we get to Rosemary's Point afterward..." Dawson said, "I don't care what else happens."

Dawson nudged Adam gently. Adam pulled back slightly so he could kiss him. They held each other, bobbing in the water. Adam finally turned and settled into Dawson's lap. Dawson wrapped his arms around him. Adam laid his head back onto Dawson's shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, each thinking about what they might be facing the next day.

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The Inheritance Clause - 24

If you like this story, tell me: djwarner1984@hotmail.com And then donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/

-DJ